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Feb 28 Build a Healthy Landlord/Tenant Relationship

Honesty, communication, patience, and reliability are vital in any relationship. This is especially true when it comes to a landlord/tenant relationship; without these characteristics, you’ll struggle to build a healthy relationship and likely terminate this affiliation.

As with any relationship, it goes both ways. The landlord should take care of the tenants’ needs with proper maintenance, good-quality amenities, upgrades, and fast service. Meanwhile, tenants need to make on-time payments and take care of the apartment.

To build and maintain healthy landlord/tenant relationship, here are a few tips that can make a huge difference:

1. Honesty

Be upfront about your current situation. As a landlord, you should disclose any problems with the property at the beginning and try to fix any major issues to help your tenants feel comfortable. As a tenant, you should submit a completely accurate rental application, no matter what your shortcomings may be. Don’t lie about your income or credit score. If there are any complications with your finances, be honest about them and talk to the landlord about how to make it work.

2. Communication

Be open about your expectations before signing the contract. As a landlord, you should set rules about what a tenant can and can’t do in the apartment. Explain the rules and help your tenants understand what is expected of them. You should also let them know what benefits are available to them as a tenant. Help them understand pool guidelines, RentPlus benefits, and apartment amenities. As a tenant, be open about what will help you feel more comfortable in your new apartment. Ask the right questions to make sure you’re both comfortable with this arrangement.

3. Patience

Remember that you’re both human and are prone to making mistakes. As a landlord, try to be patient with your tenants and put yourself in their shoes. If there are any discrepancies, give the tenant the benefit of the doubt and let them explain their side. As a tenant, be patient when you ask the landlord to fix something. The landlord has a lot of responsibilities and will try to help you as soon as he can.

4. Reliability

Be honest and fair to each other and show that you can rely on one another to make this arrangement work. As a landlord, you should make sure you get everything in writing to ensure less confusion in the future. Set your expectations in the beginning and work to ensure those expectations are constantly met. As a tenant, make sure you’re paying your rent on time each month and are taking care of the apartment. Be the tenant your landlord can rely on and will want to have stick around.

With approximately 35 percent of Americans renting about 40 million rental units throughout the country, healthy relationships between landlords and tenants are vital in our industry. This relationship can often last a minimum of one year and can continue for decades. Working together will help you build a healthy, lasting relationship. As a landlord you can enjoy long-lasting tenants. And as a tenant, you can enjoy the apartment of your dreams. It’s a win-win scenario for everyone.